Split angle driver's door mirror

[wai]

I can't find a discussion on this so here goes.

My Caddy comes with what is variously described in Google searches as a "split angle" or "Euro style" driver's door mirror.

There is a vertical dashed line about 25 mm in from the outboard edge and that part of the mirror is at a different angle to the rest of the mirror. Logic tells me that this should be telling me what is further outboard from the outboard edge of the mirror, however the image says otherwise.

When driving and I can see the right side road edge marking, when the line ends up in the change in angle on the outside edge, the edge marking bends towards the back of the car. If I were to move the mirror outwards, the line in the normal part bends away which is what I would expect the image in the outside edge to do. I have an overtaking wedge mirror on the inside edge of the mirror and as I expect, it bends the line away from the car.

Where can I find information on this feature? The manual does not cover it, and at first I thought it was a flaw or some transport protector that was left behind. I have since seen some photographs taken but none showing a line parallel to the direction of travel and so can't be sure as to what this does.

If it works as I would think it should, it is very useful, however I would hate it to be the other way :D

[Stan]

sometimes the angled piece is not actually flat, but slightly curved for a greater field of view - Saabs have this, perhaps that is the same on yours.

It would explain seeing more of the road closer to you on the angled out bit - it's supposed to help with blind spots

[Corey_R]

Yeah - I haven't seen the Caddy's mirror, but at least on the Golf and Polo (and Jetta and Passta models) it's officially called the "aspherical mirror".

[wai]

Thanks.

I will try and take a photograph and post it.

It is probably doing what it should, just that to the initiated, the vehicle appears to come from closer to the car and then when it gets to the normal part of the mirror it is then further away. It is not a flat change because in that section a vehicle is squashed horizontally.

So to someone who might not understand the physics of reflection, it might appera quite logical, but to someone who does understand the physics of reflection, it is just weird.

[wai]

Ok, here's the link to give you an idea as to how I see things. Of course, this is for a LHD car, whereas we are RHD, but you get the idea.

https://www.dubstopimports.com/PhotoGallery.asp?ProductCode=631K10903&PhotoNumber=3

As you can see, the line ends up bending in what would intuitively be the wrong way. It might be hard to see, but on the Caddy, there is a vertical black dashed line at the point where it bends back towards the car.

So it is supposed to let you see more, however it can appear a little weird.

And here's a YouTube video. As you will see it is just weird to see the vehicle scrunch up as it gets into the edge of the mirror.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PC8nnJYAecI

It looks like it works as it should, just does take a little getting used to.

[Corey_R]

Yeah, it can be quite strange at first, but I personally love it.
I would say though, that the mirror housing on the "MK6 era" cars is not as good as I remember the MKV mirriors being (or for that matter, on my 9N3 Polo). As that photos you linked wai shows, the mirror ends up reflecting too much of the black mirror case.

I actually purchased the left aspherical mirror glass for my Golf R from overseas and replaced the stock flat left mirror. So I now have the aspherical mirrors on both sides. Adjusting the mirrors correctly*, I do not have ANY blind spot, even if I don't turn my head to look left or right. I can literally get a person to walk slowly around my car from the front left corner, around the back, and to the front right corner, and there isn't any position where they're not either in my direct vision, peripheral vision, or in one of the three mirrors.

(*which means leaning my head towards the centre of the car to adjust the left mirror so I can see the left side of the car, and then leaning my head torwards the drivers window to adjust the right mirror so I can see the right side of the car, which means when I'm sitting correctly, I can't quite see the side of the car in either mirror)

[wai]

Getting mirrors correctly adjusted is the key. Unfortunately, the mirrors on cars are small for styling, but vans and SUV/4WD's have better sized ones. This is what I like about the Caddy mirrors. I have them adjusted so that I can just see the rear panel work in the inside edge of the mirror, and then I do have a couple of spot mirrors and an overtaking wedge mirror on the driver's side so that I can basically see the car right up the point of it coming into my peripheral vision. I have never had my attention drawn to the spot mirrors.

I have seen some comments on the mirror heaters and stick-on mirrors falling off, but so far I have not had any fall off, and I have used the mirror heaters (even left them on from Bendigo until Yass before I realised they were still on).

As with anything, it is having confidence in how they work. It would be good if there was a little explanation in the manual.

[Corey_R]

I've never heard of or seen anyone's mirror glass fallen off, not a VW anyway. Must be pretty rare if actually anything more than a "story".

[Dynamic Locks]

Yeah I hear what you are saying Wai about the drivers side mirror, I dont like it......Been meaning to stick on a blind spot mirror as I have on the passenger side

Dazz

[Lams]

Caddy has great large mirrors. The left mirror is so big I can see the edge of my rims - great for parallel parking
and the blind spot feature is great
the beetle I have doesn't even have a mirror on the passenger side

[blutopless2]

this topic used to come up regularly in the herald sun cars guide... they had quite a few people complaining about one mirror having the two different zones on it... The journo put them onto a mirror company that makes replacement flat mirrors for most cars.
Dont know the details as the last article i can recall on this topic was months ago.. but could be a contact point for information if people seriously want to change the mirror.

[Corey_R]

If you seriously want to change the mirror, just order the part from VW or one of the numerous internet VW part sellers. No need to go get something made up custom...

[BLAKROC]

I've never heard of or seen anyone's mirror glass fallen off, not a VW anyway. Must be pretty rare if actually anything more than a "story".

heh my drivers side mirror glass literally just fell off while driving this morning, smashed on the road before I had a chance to grab it : / Wonder if it could be claimed on warranty (extended 6 year Allianz)?